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How to Cook Pasta

Appears in
Giuliano Hazan's Thirty Minute Pasta
Giuliano Hazan's Thirty Minute Pasta

By Giuliano Hazan

Published 2009

  • About
For perfectly cooked pasta, follow these simple rules:

  1. Use plenty of water—about 6 quarts for 1 pound of pasta. Without enough water, the pasta will not cook evenly and may stick together.
  2. Add about 2 tablespoons salt (for 6 quarts water) after the water boils and before putting the pasta in. Remember, the amount of salt you are putting in depends on how much water you have. The more water, the more salt is needed. Without salt the pasta will have no flavor. If you salt the water before it boils, it will take longer to come to a boil.
  3. Put the pasta in and cook uncovered until done. Italians like their pasta al dente, meaning firm when you bite it. How firm depends on where you are in Italy. The farther south you travel, the firmer the pasta becomes. It should not be crunchy in the middle, however. Cooking time varies by shape and manufacturer. Some brands offer fairly reliable cooking instructions on the packaging, some do not. Tasting is the only surefire method of determining if it’s done and something my children love to assist with.
  4. Stir the pasta occasionally while it’s cooking, especially in the first few minutes, when the starch is at its stickiest. As long as you have plenty of water, keep it at a rolling boil, and stir periodically, there is no need to add oil to prevent the pasta from sticking.
  5. When the pasta is done, drain it but never rinse it. Rinsing will make the pasta cold and washes away the coating of starch that allows sauces to cling to it. Instead, toss it with the sauce right away so that it will immediately absorb the flavor and not stick together.

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